Hairpin



E. H. SMA'LLEY.

HAIRPIN. APPLICATICNHLED SEPT. 18, I920- 1,362, 827, Patented Dec.21,1920.

fzs clzf'or EDWARD H. SMALLEY ing ends 8 and 9, respectively.

rarsnr orrIcE.

EDWARD H. SMALLEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HAIRPIN.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 21, I320.

Application filed September 18, 1920. Serial No. 411,153.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. SMALLEY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have made a new and useful invention, to witlmproveinents inHairpins; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,concise and exact description of the same.

This invention relates particularly to an improved hair pin.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a hair pin of astandard type so constructed and arranged that after having been onceplaced in position, it will not work loose or be otherwise misplaced.Other objects and advantages will appear as this description progresses.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention isillustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to such form, because itmay be embodied in other forms and it is also to be understood that inand by the claims following the description it is desired to cover theinvention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying one-sheet of draw- 111 s *fgure 1 represents a hairpin constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a hair pin similarly con structed and arranged as inFig. 1 slightly modified.

Fig. 3 represents a further modification of a hair pin constructed inaccordance with my invention.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings includes a hairpin 1, made either from the usual soft iron wire or from a moreresilient spring steel material bended on a medial point to provide apair of parallel prongs 2 and 3. It is understood that the spacingbetween the prongs will vary according to the size of hair pin formed.The prongs 2 and 3 are preferably maintained in parallel relationshipfor approximately one-half of the length thereof and are then taperedinwardly as at 4 and 5, continuing in spaced parallel alinement as at 6and 7 and terminate in outwardly flar- The flared ends are adapted to bedisposed at substantially an angle of 22 1 to the axial line of theprongs. A hair pin such as described,

as it is placed within the hair has the flaring ends forced outwardlyagainst the inherent elasticity of the wire material by contact with thehair to tightly bind all hair be tween the parallel prongs 6 and 7 andwithin the spaced parallel side walls 2 and 3 and shoulders 4 and 5.

The particular novelty in the construction resides in the flared endsthat permit a quantity of hair to be frictionally bound within theconstricted portion formed between the parallel prongs 6 and 7 and theparallel members 2 and 3 adjacent the tapered shoulders d and 5 byreason of the spring construction thereof. The modified form of hair pinshown in Fig. 2 is of the same contour as that illustrated in Fig. 1except that it is modified in so far as a depending extension 10 isadded to lie axially between the side walls 2 and 3, said extensionbeing formed with substantially the same outline, only smaller inproportion than the larger body to which it is attached. The innerextension 10 consists of a continuous length of the same material out ofwhich the major pin is formed, wrapped around the bended portion 1 withthe ends thereof extending between the parallel side walls 2 and 3 anddisposed in the same plane thereof. This auxiliary pin aids in grippingthe hair contained within the main prongs 2 and 3 and firmly holding thesame in position.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 3 is of the same generalconstruction as the types previously described, having a dependingportion 12 formed in the same manner and bearing the same relation tothe relative parts of the pin as the present well-known type of humphair pin. The extension 12 is adapted to project between the parallelside walls 2 and 3 and to be integrally formed from the same material ascomposes the major prongs. It is desirable in forming this type of hairpin that the extension 12 be slightly arched above the plane of theprongs 2 and 3 so that strands of hair may be clasped between the archedportion thereof and the prongs 2 and 3, for functioning in the samemanner as the gripping prongs 10 formed within the hair pin illustratedin Fig. 2. The prongs of the respective hair pins are preferably formedin a wavy shape on those portions indicated by the numerals 2 and 3 togive an added frictional binding effect in maintaining the pin tighterwithin the hair of a user.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

l. A hair pin comprising a device con structed from a single length ofmaterial and bended on the medial line thereof to provide a pair ofparallel prongs, said prongs being tapered inwardly intermediate thebended portions and the'ends thereof continuing in parallel relationshipand terminating in outwardly flaring ends.

2. hair pin comprising a device constructed from a single length ofmaterial bended on the medial line thereof to provide a pair of parallelprongs, and means whereby the bended portion is adapted to extendaxially Within the parallel prongs, said prongs being tapered inwardlyintermediate the bended portions and the ends thereof, continuing inparallel relationship and terminating in outwardly flaring ends.

3. A hair pin comprising a device constructed from a single length ofmaterial bended on the medial line thereof to provide a pair of parallelprongs, and means where by the bended portion is adapted to extendaxially within the parallel prongs in spaced,

substantially parallel relationship; said prongs being tapered inwardlyintern'iediate the bended portions and the ends thereof, continuing inparallel relationship and terminating in outwardly flaring ends.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco,California, this 7th day of September 1920.

ltDWAR-D H. SMALLEY. In presence of LINCOLN V. 'JOHNSON.

